Vincent Matak, Special to QMI Agency

KINGSTON, Ont. — Police are investigation after a same-sex couple in Kingston received two threatening letters urging them to move out of town or face violence.

Susan Belyea and Karen Dubinsky received the letter from “a small but dedicated group of Kingston residents devoted to removing the scourge of homosexuality in our city.”

“Some of the group’s younger members would have fun chasing ‘lesbos,’” the second letter stated. “We have brought them BB guns and today they are going to target practice, so they can hunt you down.”

The group said they “know (the couple) and have been following (them) for the past several weeks and we wish for you to leave this city before it’s too late,” adding that they should relocate to Vancouver or San Francisco.

“This will be the first of many reminders, each escalating to higher and higher levels of harassment and derailment,” the first letter stated.

“If you do not, and take this letter to police, as we expect, we will know about this, since we have contacts in the Kingston police. Our efforts to relocate you will escalate. We wish to avoid this scenario.”

The couple, who notified police upon receiving the letter, has also reached out to local LGBTQ activists to find more information about the assailants.

Deb Kinder, women’s community development coordinator at HIV/AIDS Regional Services, who knows the couple, posted the letters on Facebook after being told of their violent content, hoping to find the source.

“Of course I would guess whoever they might be are very cowardly because they left no way of anyone contacting them.”

This isn’t the first time the LGBTQ community in Kingston has faced hatred.

On May 31, anti-gay posters were plastered downtown prior to the city’s flag raising ceremony, which marked the beginning of Pride Month in the city.

Kinder also said another same-sex couple in Kingston reached out to her and told her they had also received similar letters a few years ago.

During the pride parade this year, a woman parked a car to block the parade and refused to move when asked by police.

Despite claims in the letters of police insiders, Kingston police Chief Gilles Larochelle said the force has no connection with the group responsible for the letters, referring to the incident as “bizarre.”